Phytochemical Comparison of Medicinal Cannabis Extracts and Study of Their CYP-Mediated Interactions with Coumarinic Oral Anticoagulants.

Introduction: Treatment with cannabis extracts for a variety of diseases has gained popularity. However, differences in herb-drug interaction potential of extracts from different plant sources are poorly understood. In this study, we provide a characterization of cannabis extracts prepared from four cannabis chemotypes and an in vitro assessment of their Cytochrome P450 (CYP)-mediated herb-drug interaction profiles.

Use and caregiver-reported efficacy of medical cannabis in children and adolescents in Switzerland.

Evidence on the use and efficacy of medical cannabis for children is limited. We examined clinical and epidemiological characteristics of medical cannabis treatment and caregiver-reported effects in children and adolescents in Switzerland. We collected clinical data from children and adolescents (< 18 years) who received Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), or a combination of the two between 2008 and 2019 in Switzerland.

Andrographolide-loaded nanoparticles for brain delivery: Formulation, characterisation and in vitro permeability using hCMEC/D3 cell line.

Andrographolide (AG) is a major diterpenoid of the Asian medicinal plant Andrographis paniculata which has shown exciting pharmacological potential for the treatment of inflammation-related pathologies including neurodegenerative disorders. Conversely, the low bioavailability of AG still represents a limiting factor for its use. To overcome these limitations, AG was loaded into human serum albumin based nanoparticles (HSA NPs) and poly ethylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles (PECA NPs).

Caco-2 Permeability Studies and In Vitro hERG Liability Assessment of Tryptanthrin and Indolinone.

Tryptanthrin and (E,Z)-3-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)indolinone (indolinone) were recently isolated from Isatis tinctoria as potent anti-inflammatory and antiallergic alkaloids, and shown to inhibit COX-2, 5-LOX catalyzed leukotriene synthesis, and mast cell degranulation at low µM to nM concentrations. To assess their suitability for oral administration, we screened the compounds in an in vitro intestinal permeability assay using human colonic adenocarcinoma cells. For exact quantification of the compounds, validated UPLC-MS/MS methods were used.

Pharmacokinetics and In Vitro Blood-Brain Barrier Screening of the Plant-Derived Alkaloid Tryptanthrin.

The indolo[2,1-b]quinazoline alkaloid tryptanthrin was previously identified as a potent anti-inflammatory compound with a unique pharmacological profile. It is a potent inhibitor of cyclooxygenase-2, 5-lipooxygenase-catalyzed leukotriene synthesis, and nitric oxide production catalyzed by the inducible nitric oxide synthase. To characterize the pharmacokinetic properties of tryptanthrin, we performed a pilot in vivo study in male Sprague-Dawley rats (2 mg/kg bw i.

In vitro blood-brain barrier permeability predictions for GABAA receptor modulating piperine analogs.

The alkaloid piperine from black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and several synthetic piperine analogs were recently identified as positive allosteric modulators of γ-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors. In order to reach their target sites of action, these compounds need to enter the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Validation of an immortalized human (hBMEC) in vitro blood-brain barrier model.

We recently established and optimized an immortalized human in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) model based on the hBMEC cell line. In the present work, we validated this mono-culture 24-well model with a representative series of drug substances which are known to cross or not to cross the BBB. For each individual compound, a quantitative UHPLC-MS/MS method in Ringer HEPES buffer was developed and validated according to current regulatory guidelines, with respect to selectivity, precision, and reliability.

Development and validation of a LC-MS/MS method for assessment of an anti-inflammatory indolinone derivative by in vitro blood-brain barrier models.

The compound (E,Z)-3-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxybenzylidene)indolin-2-one (indolinone) was identified from lipophilic woad extracts (Isatis tinctoria L., Brassicaceae) as a compound possessing potent histamine release inhibitory and anti-inflammatory properties [1]. To further evaluate the potential of indolinone in terms of crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), we screened the compound in several in vitro cell-based human and animal BBB models.

Comparative study of four immortalized human brain capillary endothelial cell lines, hCMEC/D3, hBMEC, TY10, and BB19, and optimization of culture conditions, for an in vitro blood-brain barrier model for drug permeability studies.

Background: Reliable human in vitro blood-brain barrier (BBB) models suitable for high-throughput screening are urgently needed in early drug discovery and development for assessing the ability of promising bioactive compounds to overcome the BBB. To establish an improved human in vitro BBB model, we compared four currently available and well characterized immortalized human brain capillary endothelial cell lines, hCMEC/D3, hBMEC, TY10, and BB19, with respect to barrier tightness and paracellular permeability. Co-culture systems using immortalized human astrocytes (SVG-A cell line) and immortalized human pericytes (HBPCT cell line) were designed with the aim of positively influencing barrier tightness.

Identification and characterization of GABA(A) receptor modulatory diterpenes from Biota orientalis that decrease locomotor activity in mice.

An ethyl acetate extract of Biota orientalis leaves potentiated GABA-induced control current by 92.6% ± 22.5% when tested at 100 μg/mL in Xenopus laevis oocytes expressing GABA(A) receptors (α₁β₂γ(2S) subtype) in two-microelectrode voltage clamp measurements.